Beginnings
by Secoura
Summary: Long before Flight 815, solo boat races and submarines that led wary travelers to its shores, the island existed. Where did it come from and what is its purpose? These are the tales of those who were there when the island was born.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, places and things belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. Although I am incorporating the Doctor Who universe into this, none of the characters from Doctor Who will be making an appearance. This will take place entirely within the world of LOST. Reviews are, of course, welcome, whether you liked the story or not.  
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The Time Lords' plan to destroy the entire universe terrified him. What would be the point of existing if there was nothing left to explore or experience? Destruction at the hands of the Dalek would be preferable in his opinion. He wasn't alone in that thinking; another Time Lord felt the same way. Jacob hoped that he could find this other Time Lord and together they could stop this insanity.

The Doctor, as the other Time Lord was known to call himself, had a fondness for the human beings on Earth so Jacob set out to reach Wales, England in 1936, believing he would encounter The Doctor there. Somehow the other Time Lords found out what Jacob's plan was and they attacked him. Jacob ended up in the city of Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War.

***

_Carthage, 146 BC_

"This is just lovely," Jacob sighed, exiting the TARDIS to survey his surroundings, mostly ruins. The TARDIS was currently in the form of yet another ruin.

Then he saw a man kneeling over something and, curious, he went to see if perhaps someone needed help. "Hello there, I mean you no harm."

The man looked up at Jacob with tear-filled eyes. "If you've come to kill me then do it and get it over with."

"I'm not here to kill you," Jacob said as his eyes landed on the form of a small boy with dark hair lying dead on the road. His son, Jacob surmised since the man and the boy both shared similar features. "I am sorry."

"You're not a Roman soldier so who are you?"

"I'm a...traveler." Jacob knew there was nothing he could do; the boy's death was fixed in time as was the destruction of Carthage. It just didn't seem right to walk away from the man and leave him there in mourning so Jacob extended his hand. "I'm Jacob. What's your name?"

The man stood and accepted the hand that Jacob was offering. "Ricardus."

"Are there any other people left in Carthage, Ricardus?"

"None that I have seen. I should have died with the rest of them. I should have died with my son."

Jacob put a comforting hand on Ricardus' shoulder. "You were not meant to die here. Come with me. There is nothing more you can do."

Standing up, Ricardus looked around. "Where did you come from?"

"It's a long story, but we've got nothing but time, my friend."

Jacob helped Ricardus carry his son to the cemetery and dig a grave next to his wife. Although Jacob wanted to get out of there before the other Time Lords showed up, he thought it would be too cruel to suggest they just leave the body. He had seen enough death to understand the need to grieve and to bury the dead.

"Thank you."

"Now we have to go. My enemies will be here soon and you don't want to be here when that happens."

"Go where?"

"I'm...not from your world. I'll explain everything, I swear, but we really do need to go." The familiar sound of a TARDIS floated through the air and Jacob grabbed Ricardus' hand, pulling. "Come on! We have to go!"

Taking one last look at the final resting place of his family, he followed Jacob. They were running though to what, he didn't know. It looked like just a bunch of old ruins. And suddenly before him there were more old ruins. _My mind is playing tricks on me._ He continued to follow Jacob, mostly because he had nothing left in Carthage. If he ended up dying, so be it.

The last thing he saw before the flash of white was two of the ruins _colliding_. Ricardus had one last thought, that he would soon join his wife and son in the afterlife.

***

_The birth of the Island_

Two things surprised him when he opened his eyes; that it was pouring rain in the afterlife and that his head felt like it was going to split open. Sitting up, he looked around for Jacob but didn't see him. He didn't see much of anything with the rain coming down so hard.

"Ricardus, are you here? Ricardus!" Jacob was yelling, hoping that his new friend was safe and somewhere nearby. He wasn't entirely certain himself what had happened other than the other TARDIS had collided with his own and the time vortex had become uncontainable for a brief moment. Now he searched for the other man, afraid of what exposure to the vortex may have done to him. He also worried about where the other Time Lord was but for the moment he focused only on finding Ricardus.

"Jacob?" Ricardus thought he heard his name being called but he couldn't be sure. It may well have been just more of the ringing in his ears. At least the pain in his head was subsiding, along with the rain. A few more seconds and the sun burst forth, revealing the lush foliage of the jungle. Now he was more certain that he was dead. "Isabel? Jared?" He called for his wife and son, hoping that he was going to rejoin them in the afterlife.

***

_2007, The Island_

Long after the sun had set and the rest of the camp had gone to sleep, Richard lay awake in his tent thinking about how he had come to be where he was. Jacob had explained it to him but Richard still didn't fully understand. Somehow, the two TARDIS ships, possessing some form of intelligence, had become this island. Samuel, the other Time Lord, was stuck on the island, unable to move through time since he had been inside his TARDIS when it collided and the island was created. Jacob, however, could leave the island and travel through time but he couldn't leave Earth.

When the TARDIS became the island, they created a chamber deep beneath their new form. Within the chamber was a wheel that allowed the island to be moved. The island's exit was the point where the collision initially occurred, now known as Tunisia, though where in time the exit opened up seemed completely random. There was another exit, one which did not involve moving the island. Deep in the temple that was formed on the island there was a box, only about four feet square on the outside but, like any TARDIS, much bigger on the inside. That box could transport Richard and Jacob to any place and time on Earth except for Carthage. All of Carthage's past was time-locked by the TARDIS so that the city's destruction and the island's creation could never be undone.

And Richard, having been exposed to the time vortex, was now eternally ageless. He would never grow old, never die, never see his wife and son in the afterlife. He had been spared and condemned to spend eternity on this island. For a while he hated Jacob for this. In the beginning he kept to himself, refusing to speak to Jacob and, after a hundred years, engaging him in a physical fight at one point in the hopes that Jacob would kill him. That didn't happen, of course.

***

_44 BC, The Island_

"Jacob, why are you doing this?"

"Samuel, stay out of it. This is between me and Ricardus."

"How do you expect to save humankind if your own companion wants you dead? It's always the same, Jacob. They corrupt and they destroy. Let this world destroy itself so we can finally be free."

"You're wrong, Samuel, and I'm going to prove it."

Jacob left the temple and headed to the beach where Ricardus was waiting for him. The other man had challenged Jacob to fight to the death though Jacob knew that the only death Ricardus wanted was his own. That, unfortunately, was not to be. Ricardus' death was also now fixed in time and this was not the time or the place.


	2. Chapter 2

_44 BC, The Island_

Ricardus looked up at the giant statue and frowned. Even this...thing...seemed to be mocking him. The TARDIS had attempted to replicate Carthage but damage to some circuits caused them to confuse their local religions. Instead of the Phoenician fertility goddess Tanit worshipped in Carthage, there loomed the Egyptian fertility goddess Tawaret though he had a hard time thinking of it as such. The Egyptians would no doubt have been horrified to see their goddess looking so...unlike Tawaret.

The island was filled with references to Roman, Greek and Egyptian culture which he supposed was to be expected. Carthage's culture had incorporated things from their neighbors, though Latin came from having been at war with the Roman Empire for so long.

Jacob approached, looking calm and confident as he strode across the soft sand. "This will accomplish nothing, my friend."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps killing you will finally end this hell that you have brought me too."

"And for that I am sorry. I just didn't have time to explain it before...well, you know. Samuel, he's the one that put you up to this, isn't he? You've been talking to him."

"Who else am I going to talk to?"

Jacob sat on a nearby rock looking disappointed. "I am sorry, Richardus, truly sorry. I wish I could change things but it is what it is. If you feel the need to fight me then so be it, but be warned: there will be consequences."

Ricardus pulled out the knife that had been within the folds of his tunic and brandished it at Jacob. "Nothing could be worse than the life I have lived here."

"Remember what I said, Ricardus. There will be consequences. You still have a choice. You can do as he asks, or you can put the knife down and join me for breakfast."

***

_2007, The Island_

Insomnia was nothing new but still he wished that he could get more than an hour of sleep a night. Sometimes he wondered if Jacob hadn't done it intentionally just to deny him the luxury of dreams. _There will be consequences_. Even now, Jacob's words echoed in his mind. Sleep was clearly not going to be visiting him tonight but he refused to get up. He may not get to sleep and dream but he damned well was going to stay put, huddled beneath blankets that kept out the chill of the ocean breeze. He had moved his -- no, not his, Locke's -- people to the beach for safety. In the jungle they were more vulnerable to _him_ but out here, on the beach, it seemed more unlikely that _he_ would attack.

_I wonder what happened to Ben?_ The thought surprised him a bit; he hadn't really given the former leader much thought. It was easier to just forget about him since he would never see Ben again. Much as he didn't want to admit it, he missed Ben. He still remembered the day a young Benjamin Linus had been brought to him, dying. Holding the boy in his arms, he felt like he had holding his own dead son so many millenniums ago. The difference was that Benjamin was not yet dead and Richard could make sure he didn't die. Even now, looking back and knowing all of the things that happened as a result of that one decision, Richard knew he could never chose differently. He couldn't let the boy die. To hell with what Jacob wanted.

***

_1977, The Island_

He warned them that Benjamin would never be the same; that he would lose his innocence and forever be one of 'them'. Asking Jacob about this was not an option. They wanted Benjamin saved and Richard was going to save him. Taking the boy into his arms, Richard remembered his first meeting with Benjamin four years prior. This one was special, Richard knew it. The fact that he had seen his dead mother on the island meant that the island was trying to communicate with Ben and Richard couldn't ignore that.

The temple was dark but Richard found the altar that housed the time vortex from one of the TARDIS. Opening the containment field took a bit of effort and then Richard stood, Ben securely in his arms, and let the vortex flow through them both. It was wonderful and horrifying at the same time, seeing every moment of Benjamin's life and being able to alter little bits so that the gunshot wound wouldn't kill him. Jacob was the one that had arrived and got the vortex back into the containment field.

"Jacob, I..."

"I know what you did, Richard." Giving a glance to the sleeping boy, he put a hand on Richard's shoulder. "I also understand why you did it. I just wish you would have trusted me enough to come to me first."

"I couldn't let him die, Jacob."

"I know. I just want you to think about something: all this time you've been angry that I didn't give you a choice. What choice did you give to Benjamin Linus?"

Before Richard could respond, Jacob was gone. Ben was still unconscious so Richard picked him up and began walking towards the camp and wondering if he really had done the right thing. Would Ben have been better off if Richard allowed him to die?

Eloise had been surprised but understanding when they arrived. She helped set up another cot in Richard's tent and made sure there were plenty of blankets and pillows so Ben would be comfortable. "I'll find Charles and tell him. If he arrives and discovers the boy...well, you know how Charles is."

Once she was gone, Richard leaned over Ben and brushed some loose hairs back from his forehead. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Benjamin. I am so, so sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

_94 BCE  
_

Ricardus was sitting on the beach, watching the waves roll in. That was all he had done day after day for the last 50 years. Still, each morning Jacob would go and sit with him for a while, trying to engage in conversation. By now Jacob didn't actually expect a response but he refused to give up.

"Good morning," he said, sitting on the sand beside Ricardus. "Beautiful day."

"Why am I here?"

Jacob was surprised but relieved to hear the other man finally speak. "You're here because it wasn't your time to die. I need you, my friend. We have an important task to accomplish here. Would you like to join me for something to eat? I don't think I've seen you eat once since--"

"I haven't, but this place won't let me die. No matter how I try to end this, I can't." He turned cold, accusing eyes on Jacob. "You had no right. You should have given me a choice. I would have preferred death to this."

Jacob sighed but didn't turn away from Ricardus' glare. "You're right, you should have had a choice. I am sorry that I can't go back and change things. Please, tell me what I can do. Tell me what will make this existence bearable for you."

"An end."

"It will end, Ricardus, just not now."

"And what do I do until that time?"

Jacob stood up and brushed the sand from his pants. "I suppose you live."

He watched Jacob walk away, then resumed staring at the surf. How did he live when his family had been his whole life?

Samuel had watched from a distance and overheard the conversation. _Perhaps I can use this man as a means to my ends._

He waited a good ten minutes after Jacob had wandered off before approaching, a fresh mango in hand. Ricardus didn't move so Samuel walked up to him, sitting a few feet away on the sand. "Going hungry isn't going to change the situation so you may as well eat." He held the mango out to the other man and flashed a friendly smile.

Ricardus was hesitant for a second before reaching out and accepting the offered fruit. "Thanks. I'll eat it later."

Watching as he set it beside him, Samuel chuckled. "I didn't poison the mango trees if that's what you're worried about." After a few seconds with no response, he sighed. "Has Jacob told you anything?"

"About what?"

"Us. Him. Me. Why he was in Carthage, why I was coming after him."

"Just that he isn't from this world, that there was a spaceship and your ship hit it, and that he and you could travel through time. He said the ships used a time vortex to travel through space and time, and that the vortex affected me and that's why I haven't aged since I arrived on this island." Seeing Samuel raise an eyebrow, Ricardus smiled. "Just because I haven't been talking to him doesn't mean I haven't been listening."

"And you seen to be accepting it quite well."

"I've had a long time to come to terms with things."

They sat in silence for a while before Samuel spoke again. "There's a way off the island, you know."

Shocked disbelief met the statement. "Jacob would have told me if there was."

"Would he? My people are at war and Jacob is a traitor. He came to your world to conspire with the enemy. What makes you so sure he tells you the truth and I'm lying?"

"Jacob has no reason to lie to me."

"And I do? Jacob came to your world because he wants to solve the Skasas Paradigm and he needs human beings to do it. If he solves it, he would have control over time, space, matter...he would be a god."

"He could save my family."

"He could, but do you really think he would? He has a plan and this world is nothing more than a blue marble on a big playground."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to stop him. Do you want to see him have that kind of power? Do you want to see any being have that kind of power?"

Ricardus didn't answer so Samuel stood up. "I am sorry you lost your family and I hope you find peace. If you want answers, you know where to find me."

***

The next morning Jacob found Ricardus sitting on the beach, just as he did every morning. "So, are you going to talk to me today or am I going to be talking to myself again?"

"Samuel came to see me after you left."

Jacob took that as a sign that Ricardus would talk to him so he sat down in his usual spot. "I know."

"He said there's a way to leave this island."

"There is." Seeing the surprised look on Ricardus' face, Jacob shrugged a little. "I have never lied to you and I'm not going to start now."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"The time vortex is still unstable and I thought it would be cruel to tell you that there is a way off the island but you can't use it."

"I guess I can understand that."

"Do you want something to eat?"

Ricardus laughed a bit. "You aren't going to give that up are you?"

"No. So you hungry enough to eat my cooking?"

"Yes, I am."

"It's good to have you back. The conversations with myself were getting rather boring."

***

_44 BCE  
_

"This ends, one way or the other."

"You won't end anything, Ricardus."

"I can't live like this anymore! Now you want to bring other people here and treat them like some sort of experiment?"

"What did Samuel do to make you want this?"

"He took me into the temple and opened the 'magic box'. It showed me things, horrible things that you want to do."

There was no avoiding a physical confrontation though he didn't want to hurt Ricardus; it wasn't his fault that Samuel had used him in an attempt to kill Jacob. The knife Ricardus had was specifically created to destroy Time Lords; it was the one thing that could kill him and prevent him from regenerating so how it made it onto the island was something to investigate later

A well placed kick to the knee send Ricardus down and he lost his grip on the knife. Jacob quickly picked it up, whispering, "Forgive me" before driving the blade into the other man's heart. "I am sorry, my friend. Hopefully you won't remember any of this."


	4. Chapter 4

_44 BCE_

His chest felt like a boulder had landed on him, shoving thousands of shards of glass into his body. Groaning, Ricardus tried to sit up but then decided that remaining on his back was probably a better idea.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

Jacob's voice made his head hurt and he squeezed his eyes shut. "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was home...only I couldn't have been home..." He put his hand over his eyes to block out the light that was making his head ache. "I guess the last thing I remember is checking the traps for fish. Jacob, please, what happened?"

"You need to rest for a while. Then I'll tell you what happened."

Feeling the wetness of his shirt, he reached down with his hand to feel the fabric. "Is this...Jacob, why is there blood on my shirt? Tell me what happened!"

"I will, but please just lie still and rest a bit. You didn't hurt anyone."

"But the blood--"

"Is your own." Jacob walked a little ways and came back with a coconut shell filled with cool water. "Here, drink this." He helped Ricardus sit up a little bit so he could drink and then urged him to lie back down again.

"Why don't I remember what happened?"

"Because Samuel took you to the temple and exposed you to the time matrix. When I got the residual energy of it out of you, your memories were wiped."

"Why would Samuel do that?"

"I don't know, but I know why you went along with it."

"Why?"

"He tempted you with seeing your family again, with being able to change things." Jacob smiled softly. "I've known Samuel for a very long time and I know how he operates. What I don't know is what he hoped to accomplish by doing it."

Ricardus spotted the knife on the ground and thought that he remembered it, though he had no clear memories of it. "That's not the knife you use to on the fish."

"No, that is the knife that you had when you tried to kill me."

"What? I would...I...Jacob?"

"It wasn't your fault. The time vortex was influencing you and I would guess that Samuel influenced you as well."

"I'm sorry. I don't even remember seeing him today."

"Humans weren't meant to see the vortex. That's why what happened isn't your fault. Now don't give it another thought; There's a tub of water heating on the fire so you can get yourself cleaned up and changed. I got a clean pair of trousers and a shirt for you. Then we need to discuss things."

"Of course."

"I'm sorry, I tend to sometimes say things wrong. If that sounded harsh I'm sorry." He knelt down and put his hand on Ricardus' shoulder. "I'll explain later but for now you need to rest while the water heats. How are you feeling?"

"Like something heavy landed on me." He began rubbing his hand over where Jacob had stabbed him and his fingers found the tear in his shirt. "Jacob, please, just tell me what happened."

"The knife you had is one specifically made to kill one of my kind. I knew that you wouldn't die from it so I stabbed you in the heart to stop you. The small part of the vortex that was inside you left and your body healed. You're hurting because the vortex sort of short circuited the nerve endings. You're still feeling the pain of the injury even though the injury is completely healed. It should go away soon but until it does just lie still and rest."

"Whatever happened to me, I remember being with my family. My wife and son, they were alive and..." He winced and put his hand back over his eyes. "I could reach out and touch them, talk to them. They were right there." He moved his hand and looked at Jacob. "It wasn't just some weird dream, was it? I actually went back there somehow."

"For now please let it go and don't try to remember."

"The memories are all I have left."

"I know, and I don't know how to explain it but...those memories were created by the vortex, something that you're mind was never meant to see. You'll burn if you don't let them go."

"I don't know how."

"Think about something that happened here. Remember the first time I tried to teach you how to fish, and you fell off the rock trying to reach the trap?"

"You pushed me," Ricardus answered, smiling slightly at the memory. The pain in his head did seem to ease a bit.

"I can't believe you would even suggest such a thing. That was a good day though. We almost caught a fish."

"It wasn't my fault your trap came open."

"Right. Had nothing to do with you getting scared by the poor little fish jumping and making you drop the trap back in the water."

He took a deep breath and finally felt his body relax. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. At least my head doesn't feel like it's going to split open."

"Maybe you should sleep."

"No, I want to get out of these clothes and clean up first."

Jacob nodded and helped his friend up. "The water should be hot enough. I'll see about finding something to eat."

Before he could leave, Ricardus grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Jacob, thank you."

"You are this way because of me. The least I can do is spare your suffering." He gave a warm smile to reassure the other man. "You'll find soap and towels over there," pointing towards and alcove, "help yourself to whatever you need."

Ricardus just nodded; for some reason he felt like he had said some terribly hurtful things while he was under the influence of the vortex but he had no idea what it was.

***

Getting out of the blood-soaked clothes made him feel better and the hot water soothed his sore body. He just wished he could remember how he got so sore. When he was done washing he dried off and got dressed, grateful to Jacob for giving him clean clothes.

"Feeling better?" Jacob asked, walking up as Ricardus was pulling the shirt over his head.

"Yes, much better. Jacob, whatever I said..."

"Let it go. Please, just...let it go."

"I am sorry for whatever hurt I caused you."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. There were plenty of fish in the traps and I found some ripe starfruit if you feel up to joining me for something to eat."

"Have you ever known me to turn down a meal?"

"No, but I can keep hoping there will be a first time." He ended the tease with a grin and was rewarded by a laugh from his friend.

"You just keep hoping, Jacob. Keep hoping."

They maintained an easy silence as Ricardus cleaned the fish and Jacob started a fire on the beach with a rock in the midst of the fire to act as a cooking surface. "I think I'd like to eat out here, feel the wind and the sun on my face, wouldn't you?" Jacob offered as explanation for this.

It wasn't until after the food was eaten that Jacob brought up the topic that he wanted to discuss. "There will be more people arriving shortly."

"What? More people? How--"

"I brought them here. That's what I wanted to discuss with you."

"You...brought them here?"

"I left the island, Ricardus. I found a ship of people and I made sure their course would bring them here."

"Why would you do this? I thought there was no way to leave the island?"

"The vortex is still too unstable for you but I can use it to leave."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"That was a mistake and I am sorry for it. I thought knowing that I was leaving when you couldn't would seem unfair."

"So, why are you bringing these people to the island? What is it you need from them?"

Jacob sighed, knowing that their friendship had taken another hit. "There is an equation that predicts when mankind will extinguish itself. If that equation can be solved then mankind will survive."

"And you need the people to solve the equation?"

"Yes. The vortex knows the answer to the equation but it won't tell us. It will only tell people who learn to listen to it and believe in it." He noticed that Ricardus was silent, his eyes cast downward. "This bothers you."

"Why am I here, Jacob? There's some equation to be solved and you, you can leave the island and get these people to come here, and the vortex will speak to them so they can solve it and save humanity, but why am I here? What is my purpose? Or do I not have one anymore?"

"Of course you have a purpose, Ricardus. Be patient and it will be revealed."

_***_

_2007, The Island_

Richard opened his eyes and saw Jacob sitting a few feet away.

"It's been too long, my friend."

"Jacob, is something wrong?" Richard could see the sadness in the other man's eyes and it was nearly unbearable. After having spent so much time there on the island, watching everything that had happened, it was hard to see his friend looking so hopeless.

"I should have found you a girlfriend so you wouldn't be so alone."

"Jacob..."

"I know how you felt about Eloise. I also know how much it hurt when she was gone. I should have found someone else to at least provide you with some companionship."

"You have always been here when I needed a friend."

"Have I? Sometimes I wonder if I didn't grab you back in Carthage just to spare myself from being alone."

"Please, tell me what is wrong."

"They're coming, Richard."

"Who? Who is coming?"

"Be careful and watch your back, Richard. And don't forget to say hello the next time you're in the area."

"Jacob, who? Who is coming?" The fire died and he was thrown into darkness.

"Richard? Richard, are you alright?"

The feminine voice startled him and he sat up and looked around to find that he was in his tent and the sun was up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." It was Carol, one of the older woman among their group.

"You didn't frighten me," he replied though he knew she was teasing. Carol was like a grandmother to most of their people being that she was just a year younger than Eloise Hawking. She also seemed to be one of the few people that believed he had a sense of humor.

"Of course I didn't." She smiled and sat in the chair Richard kept beside the small makeshift desk. "Sorry I woke you up but everyone was getting worried. You never sleep in this late." Then a momentary frown. "Seems like you don't sleep much at all."

"Goes with the job." He gave her a smile and ran a hand through his hair while she stood and moved towards the flap of the tent.

"I'll tell the others that you're just sleeping in."

"Carol, I--"

"You are entitled to spend a day doing nothing. The world won't end, I promise."

With that she left and Richard laid back down. His dream had been much to vivid to be just a dream, and he never slept like that unless... _Jacob, I know something's wrong. I just wish you would have told me what it is._

He did finally get up and pull back the flap of his tent slightly. Judging by the sun's position in the sky it was late afternoon so he decided to get dressed and see what he could find to eat.


End file.
